Breaking point
by Daughter Of War
Summary: Amber has an OK life until her fathers enemy shows up on her doorsteps. Amber learns how hard life is on the streets. She has to give into the kidnappers demands to ensure her parents as she secretly plans there escape.
1. The night Serpine attacked

Amber Lily woke up to screaming, shouting and pain. Its all she had ever know. She pulled her blanket tightly around her shoulders and started to cry. her mother and father stooped screaming at each other and walked into her room. Her mother sat next to her and wrapped her arms around her. Her father did the same. she wished it was like this all the time. Her mother looked down at her and gently said.

"What is wrong sweetheart? Why are you crying?"

Amber swallowed and then said what she had to say "You and dad are always shouting at each other and I can't take it! I'm really sorry for whatever I did just please stop fighting."

She said tears spilling out of her eyes and running down her cheeks in a steady stream. Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkaryie Pleasant Looked at each other and then at her. Skulduggery was the first one to speak.

"Sweetheart you have done nothing wrong. Its just me and your mum were mad at each other."

But your always mad at each other." she pointed out to them feeling her eyes start to brim with tears again. She hated it when she cried because her mum would cry and her father would have cried if he had eyes. She forced herself to push back the tears.

"Were sorry." her father said wrapping one bony arm around her using the other to gently stroke her silky black hair. She loved it when her father was like this so she threw both arms around him. Her mother cuddled her as well. She was put to bed and her mother and father went to sleep. It was the first night of sleep were she had no nightmare for the first time in years. She woke up to hear her front door being kicked of its hinges. She got out of bed and opened her bedroom open a crack to see a man with sparkling emerald eyes. Hair as black as sin thin lips and with horror amber realised that Nefarian Serpine was in her house. She waited until her had gone towards kitchen then bolted down the corridor towards her parent room and burst in. Her mother woke up and woke Skulduggery.

"Have you had a nightmare love? If you have you can sleep in our room if you want?" Her mother told her giving her an encouraging smile. Amber thought of getting into bed with her parents Wanting to feel safe although she was trembling with fear.

'What am I thinking?' She questioned her self and gained the strength to tell her parents. "Its Nefarian Serpine he is in our house." Skulduggery sat bolt upright and amber knew if he had skin and eyes he would be glaring. She heard footsteps coming up the stairs and was suddenly shaking with terror and fear of Serpine.

"Amber run." Skulduggery said. "Now amber." Amber had no where to run so she ducked under the bed and hid shaking the cover hung over the side of the bed hiding her from sight. She heard the door creak open and someone walk in his voice as sharp as a dagger and cold as ice.

"Skulduggery. What an annoyance it is to see you again." He spat obviously disgusted by Amber dad. Amber felt like crawling from under the bed and punching him but the terror welling up inside her forced her not to and weighed her down. He spoke again. It was about her this time. "I hear you have a daughter. Her name is Amber am I correct." Serpine hissed smirking as skulduggery glared at him.

"My daughters name is none of your concern. I wouldn't tell you anyway because you would use it against her because that is the kind of cruel manipulative bastard you are!" Serpines smug look was wiped off his face then it lit up with an evil grin his had filled with shadow and he shot them at Skulduggery. They passed through his rib cage causing him to scream out in pain and agony. He fell to the floor as Valkyrie lunged at him but Serpine simply used the shadow to blow her back against the wall.

"come out come out were ever you are?!" He chuckled joyfully. He knew amber would come out to try and protect her parents and as he predicted she did. Amber crawled out from under the bed and stared him in the yes her violet eyes blazing with anger, hatred and fury. Serpine looked at her it reminded him off one person.

Her dad.

Amber stood looking at him defiance plastered on her face. "So your amber!" He spat.

Amber stared at him not taking her eyes off him "Yes I am! Don't think I will break easily if you kidnap me or bend to your will!" she threw at him. She was sure if insults were weapons two would be pointing at him right now.


	2. I will never bend to your will

Amber eyes blazed with a defiant fire that refused to die down. That is what Serpine hated most about her. She defiantly glared at him. He loathed her at the moment then a devious little scheme hatched in his twisted and blackened mind. He smirked as she stared at him confused and scared about his next move.

"Do you know what my red hand can do Amber?" He chuckled at the silence he could almost see the thoughts rattling around inside her head. "So you don't know what my hand does. Let me show you." He grinned manically at pointed his red hand at her mother. Valkaryie screamed out in pain as it spread through her body like the plague she welcomed the dark that clouded her vision then Serpine drew his hand away. Amber eyes were about to give way to floods of tears but she refused to cry refusing to let him win. Serpine cursed under his breath as he tried to thin of another way to hurt her then it hit him he could hurt all of them at the same time. The maniac grin returned to his face as he formed a purple shadow in his hand and shot it at Skulduggery. He was brought from his state of unconsciousness to pain he screamed out Valkryie did to so did Amber. Her eyes were letting the tears flow now at the moment she didn't care all she cared about was that her dad was getting hurt and so was her mother. The flow of shadows finally stopped Skulduggery groaned as Valkaryie ran over.

"Are you OK skul?" She gently asked as she usually did when he got hurt on cases.

"I've seen better days." He joked then winced as a small almost unnoticeable stream of shadow flowed thought him. Valkaryie lunged at Serpine as he dodged out of the way amber ducked down behind him tripping him. Skulduggery was getting up he was out of ideas then one struck him grab amber by the mouth pulled her close to him and held a dagger to her throat. Both Valkaryie and Skulduggery Froze.

Neither of them said a word as they were taken prisoner Amber was locked in her room pounding her fist on the door screaming both there names. Finally her legs gave way she collapsed Crying and softly stop sobbing and waited for someone to come and get her two no one did. By the first hour all hope of rescue had been extinguished along with the determined fire in her eyes. At the second hour she started debating what was taking so long why they weren't coming why no one had saved her. It struck her no one except Serpine, Skulduggery and Valkaryie knew she was here. She dug into her jeans pocket and called Ghastly. At the other of the line there was a grumble as Ghastly promptly asked. "Who is it?" Amber replied back to the other end.

"It me Amber."

"Amber. why are you calling me at this hour? Shouldn't your parent be taking care off you if your upset?" Amber explained what had happened Ghastly gasped and ordered down to the other end of the line. "Amber get dressed. I'm coming to get you out of there." Ghastly hung up and amber did as she was told about twenty minutes later Ghastly kicked down her bedroom door and walked in. "Were did he take them?" Ghastly questioned.

"I don't know." Amber croaked. Ghastly walked downstairs and made her some hot chocolate. Amber sipped it it was sweet and frothy just how she liked it.

"Amber do you have any idea of were he might have taken them?" Ghastly said when she had finished.

"I do." Amber replied as ghastly face light up at the thought of being able to get them out. "Serpine's castle!"


	3. Shock of the castle

When Amber and Ghastly got to Serpine's castle Ghastly remarked it was as grim a place as it had been last time he came here. As they walked down the halls Amber's determination returned to her the same fire blazing in her eyes.

"When Serpine looks at me he gives me a look that he might give dad whys that?" Amber as Ghastly as they trudged through the halls of the castle.

"Its your eyes Amber." Ghastly replied hurriedly as he pushed her into a pitch black hall way as two hollow men passed by.

"I can't help what my eyes look like!" Amber whispered in reply. "And what wrong with my eyes?" She asked wondering why her eyes were a problem at all.

"They remind Serpine to much of your father." Ghastly answered her. amber felt the hours pass by as they searched for her parents. As the second hour approached she felt like screaming she wanted them back. She sniffled tears welling up and stinging at her eyes as she squeezed them shut to stop the tears escaping. Ghastly turned and he eyed her because it wasn't obvious what was wrong. When he realised she was crying he instantly remembered what it was to lose your parents.

"Hey its ok." He reassured her. "There my friends to you know." He joked and she giggled. She suddenly stopped dead and stared straight ahead.

"I was starting to think you would never show up!" Serpine hissed and Ambers anger bubbled inside her. "But then again you are only a child aren't you." He chuckled and amber ran at him fist clenched.

"Give them back!" She screeched at him. Ghastly flung forward and grabbed her as she wrestled to get herself free.

"You want them back. Well you can have them back one condition." He said.

"And what's that?" Amber asked. Serpine grinned evilly and Ghastly glared at him knowing he was planning something.

"I get to keep you!"


	4. Misery

"M-Me." Amber whimpered. she was shaking but her parent meant more to her than anything in the world she had to so it. She swallowed the lumps stuck in her throat and stared him in the eye a flame of determination flaring in them. "Fine." Shespoke determination masking the fear she was feeling.

Serpine lead them to her parents cell and she hugged them so hard she thought they might break. She didn't fight as she was shoved in her cell but Valkaryie, Skulduggery and Ghastly did. She had to turn away when her mother started screaming her name. Serpine chuckled and gloated.

"The thing i love about you is your so easy to mess with." Skulduggery snapped at that comment and flung himself at Serpine sending both of them sprawling across the floor. "What wrong skulduggery? Scared I'll kill her like your first pathetic sqealing runt?" He hissed. Skulduggery roared back at him.

"Leave her out of this." But his voice was shaky and uneven.

"Lets no forget the beautiful Anita. Oh she was fun. So determined to stay alive for you! It was fun killing her."

"I said stop." Skulduggery snapped his voice edged with pain. Serpine chuckled thinking to himself 'They really are making this to easy.' He moved toward Amber and her violet eyes filled with terror as he pulled her pretty little face closer. "Leave her alone." Skulduggery hissed but terror was evident in his vioce.

Amber scream echoed throughout the dungeon as the blade stroke along her cheek drawing blood. Skulduggery ran to her and clutched her "I'm sorry." He whimpered. Valkaryie and ghastly had run over and Valkaryie knelt by her daughter. She cleaned the cut before they were forced out of the castle. Amber felt alone and scared but determined to stay strong for her Family. For Them. For Herself.


	5. Five years

It had been five years since Amber had become a captive at Serpine's castle. "Hello my dear." Serpine taunted her.

"Piss off." She hissed back. She was 15 tomorrow and knew it would be like all the others joyless. Serpine glared at her and practically growled back.

"You are as defiant as your father you little brat." She smirked and answered.

"Better than being a grumpy bad tempered old troll like you." She got slapped round the face for that she didn't care she had got used to it over the years. Serpine wanted to hurt her and not getting a reaction made his blood boil. He glared at her then his expression brightened.

"Its your birthday tonight." He said cheerily to her. Amber raised an eyebrow he had never remembered her birthday before. "Since it your 15th." He carried on. "I'll get you something special."

"Letting me out." Amber declared hopefully. Serpine laughed in her face. He enough enjoyed toying with her and confusing her. It was amusing.

"Maybe next year." he said as Ambers shoulders sagged with disappointment. Serpine walked out of the dungeons and out of the castle. "I need to cause an uproar." He told the driver who simply nodded and drove him to the sanctuary.

_Amber was shivering in her cell like she did ever night even with her jacket on. She heard the door leading to the dungeons open and she got up. "Hello." She said to the darkness and Serpine walked towards her cell. She stared curiously looking at his hands.

"Were is the so called present?" She asked in an unhopeful tone. She heard kicking and two people being dragged. A lump formed in her throat. 'He can't have done that. He can't have.' She thought. She saw her mom and dad and took a step back in shock. Skulduggery had one leg broke and both arms were bent at a weird angle. Valkaryie Had her cheek cur her lip was bust and she had one long scar down her arm. Amber felt tears rolling down her face. "Mum... Dad.." She whimpered and Skulduggery looked up so did Valkaryie.

"Amber!" Valkaryie said trying to reach forward even with her bad arm but couldn't. Skulduggery reached forward and immediately regretted it. He let out a yowl off pain.

"DAD!" Amber screeched. "MUM!" She glared at Serpine and lunged at him through the bars summoning a flame in her hand. He simply laughed at her attempt to grab him and grab her arm. He twisted it slightly and she cried out falling to the floor clutching it. Skulduggery growled at him with Valkaryie.

"Keep your hands of our daughter!" Amber got up the pain in her arm gone. She stared coldly at Serpine. He strode forward and she saw a dagger glint in the moonlight and backed up to the back of her cell.

"Ple-please don't." She whimpered. Serpine stopped an grinned cruelly. He stared back.

"Ok I won't do anything to you." He nodded and a hollow men bent skulduggery arm and the other pulled at Valkaryie's and there screams off pain echoed throughout the castle.

"STOP." amber screamed crying tears pouring down her face in a steady stream. Serpine nodded and grabbed her arm her picked the long dagger and said.

"Since you co-operated I'll make it quick." Her heart pace quickened as the cold metal touched her skin. She Quivered as he pressed harder and it broke her skin. She started screaming as he quickly wrote on her arm 'PERFECT'.


	6. Hurt and a Happy Ending

Amber screamed as he cut the word into her arm. He took as little time as he could but to her it felt like an eternity. She could hear Valkryie screaming her name. She knew Skulduggery would be fighting to break free. Amber finally had had enough she swung a fist back that Serpine square in the face. He stumbled back and she pushed the air and he flew backwards. She ran towards the hollow men holding her parent. She punched the one holding Valkryie not daring to breath. Valkryie dropped to her knees. Amber hauled her up and clutched her arm as warm blood trickled out of the cut. Her Mum had freed her dad and now they were running.

They got outside and amber collapsed into the Bentley. She curled up on the back seat falling asleep. Her cut was checked by Nye. He stitched it up and placed an bandage on it. "Try and stay out of trouble." It said to her. She walked away and pulled both her parents into a hug. They didn't object and she finally felt safe again. She knew they would come for her and had not forgotten her.

"I knew you would come for me." She said to them both and they both said.

"Like we could forget the person who makes our lives brighter than the sun. she smiled and murmured softly.

"So happily ever afters do exist."

The End


End file.
